Vision 2020 Masterplan

How does McCarran International Airport keep up with the growth in Southern Nevada?

To meet the demands of Southern Nevada’s growth, in terms of both local residents and the
Valley’s visitors, the Clark County Department of Aviation (CCDOA) has plans to
increase the size and capacity of its existing McCarran Airport facilities and develop an entirely new supplemental
airport facility. In calendar year 2010, McCarran International Airport handled nearly 40 million passengers. This puts McCarran
in the top 10 busiest airports in the United States.

What’s the most critical aspect of increasing McCarran’s capacity?

Bringing additional passengers through our airport takes more than just adding flights. It is imperative that the
balance between the airfield, the terminal, and the roadway systems be maintained. It is not enough that our airfield can accommodate aircraft;
we must have the terminal facilities (aircraft gates, ticketing, and baggage claim) in place to handle passengers’ needs, and roadways to
facilitate the safe and efficient movement of private and commercial vehicles.

McCarran’s sustainable capacity is estimated at 53.6 million annual passengers. The airfield can handle
that number of flights, but the terminal and airport roadway system, in their current form, cannot. When an airport’s facilities
become out of balance like this, delays can occur. Delays result in increased processing time for the traveling public and an increase
in airline operating costs. The Department’s goal is to bring all three components in balance by adding passenger boarding gates,
terminal facilities, and roadway improvements within McCarran’s limited space. As with past development, future construction projects
are demand-driven and will only be built if and when activity levels warrant additional facilities.

In addition to McCarran, there are four “general aviation” airports operated by the CCDOA
(North Las Vegas Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, Jean Sport Aviation Center, and Overton Municipal Airport) designed to handle
smaller aircraft. North Las Vegas Airport ranks as the second busiest airport in Nevada in terms of operations (aircraft take-offs and landings).

McCarran’s successful handling of the projected 53.6 million passengers hinges on the ability of the North Las Vegas Airport and the
Henderson Executive Airport to meet future growth in general aviation activity and attract a portion of the existing general aviation activity
away from McCarran.

When will we need the new airport?

When McCarran reaches its sustainable capacity of 53 million passengers.

What’s happening right now?

In 2010, in response to the economic downturn and reduced traffic at McCarran, the County decided to
postpone additional funding for the Ivanpah EIS. Until demand increases, the department will continue to work on the capital
plan to increase capacity at McCarran and long-term planning for the Ivanpah Airport. When traffic levels warrant, the department
will resume funding levels for, and will request that the FAA and BLM continue work on the EIS.